


Toph Time

by doompatrol7



Series: Toph and Zuko [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Theater Nerd Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Toph Being Awesome, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:20:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26118697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doompatrol7/pseuds/doompatrol7
Summary: "Sparky! You. Me. Spar in the courtyard. Let'sfuckinggo.""Uh," Zuko said, mouth agape. "Toph, I don't think this is the best time-""Spar. In. The. Court. Yard."(Or: Toph forces Zuko to have fun)
Relationships: Toph Beifong & Zuko
Series: Toph and Zuko [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1880689
Comments: 6
Kudos: 173





	Toph Time

**Author's Note:**

> This includes some references to previous stories in this series, but nothing too integral to understanding what's going on. Enjoy!

_Esteemed Fire Lord Zuko,  
  
I regret to inform you that the reparations offered by the Fire Nation have not been enough. Ba Sing Se, currently in an unstable condition due to the recent transition of power, still receives displaced refugees to this day. Many have no homes to return to, and barely a dent has been made in fixing the devastated settlements throughout the kingdom. To make matters worse, Ozai loyalists have been popping up and causing trouble all over. I assure you, we in the Earth Kingdom appreciate your efforts to help, and we are doing our best to settle matters ourselves with the Avatar's assistance, but sadly the fight to stabilize the world after one hundred years of war is far from over. I will be sending delegates to the Fire Nation for further discussion on the matter, and they should be arriving a day or so after you receive this.  
  
Best Regards,  
  
Earth King Kuei_  
  
The Esteemed Fire Lord Zuko smashed his head into his desk.  
  
It had only been a few days since the treasurer explained to him that, due to the sudden end of the war and the loads of reparations paid to those negatively affected by it, the royal coffers were running dangerously low. Ever since there had been a whirlwind of activity: constant meetings with industry leaders, farmers, trade officials, and economic advisors, filling out forms and writing letters until his fingers bled, and stressing out with the occasional panic attack thrown in for good measure.  
  
And now, he had to deal with this. Just _great_. Since when was the Earth King so articulate anyway?  
  
No matter. There was no use in complaining. He was the Fire Lord, and he had a duty to his nation and to the world. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself for another few days of constant pressure and anxiety.  
  
Suddenly, the doors to his quarters opened with a resounding _SLAM_. Zuko’s head shot up from the desk to the sight of Toph striding in, a confident smirk on her face.  
  
“Sparky! You. Me. Spar in the courtyard. Let’s _fucking_ go.”  
  
“Uh,” Zuko said, mouth agape. “Toph, I don’t think this is the best time-“  
  
“Spar. In. The. Court. Yard,” she cut him off, grabbing his sleeve and tugging on it with each syllable.  
  
“But… my work-“  
  
She held up a hand, and he shut up. “You’ve been working nonstop for the past few days, dude. I know you feel the need to burden yourself with literally every problem the Fire Nation has remotely caused, but everyone needs a break. Come on. For me?”  
  
He sighed. “Fine. I can’t ignore the demands of the great Toph Beifong, now can I?”  
  
“Nope!” she said, grinning smugly. She pulled on his sleeve again, hard enough to force him to his feet. “By the way, now that you’ve agreed, I’ve got some other things planned, so say goodbye to your precious paperwork for the rest of the day!”  
  
“Damn it, Toph!" he said with a groan. "I did _not_ agree to that!”  
  
“Too bad,” she said, cackling as she led him out of the room. “You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not!”  
  
The wickedly pleased tone of her voice sent a shiver down his spine. What did he just agree to?  
  
…  
  
They stood on opposite sides of the stone sparring square within the courtyard. Zuko eyed Toph, whose stone-still face was aimed right at him. For a minute there was not an inch of movement between them, both silently goading the other to strike first. These mind games somewhat reminded him of sparring with Azula, where she would confidently size him up, occasionally give a false start just to make him flinch, and then laugh in his face. With those he was usually frozen out of fear, afraid that she would burn him, a fear that was often well-founded. This, however, was completely different, as Toph would never do such malicious things to him. Here, he was frozen because he knew Toph's 'sight' thrived on vibrations and movement.  
  
Regardless, earthbenders were the masters of watching and waiting, especially compared to the passionate firebenders, and so it was Zuko who made the first move, a simple blast of fire meant to throw Toph a little off balance. As he did this, he thought of the Earth King’s letter and the delegates and and the unrest in the Earth Kingdom and the Ozai loyalists and how he had no idea what he was going to do about any of it.  
  
Toph seemed to anticipate his attack, as she side stepped the blast easily and retaliated by kicking a few boulders his way. He managed to dodge them with a roll, but, just as he got back to his feet, she stomped and hit him in the chest with a pillar of stone, knocking him down. After he fell, he realized he hadn't read Chief Hakoda's letter on the state of the Souther Water Tribes, and now he was wondering if that would be yet another nail in his coffin.  
  
With a twirl of his legs, he released a circle of fire around him, destroying another salvo of boulders. Jumping back to his feet, he threw a column of flames at her, which she blocked by raising up a slab of rock. She then kicked the slab forward, and, before he could process the move, it slammed into him and knocked him right back down.  
  
Winded, he didn’t get up.  
  
“I yield…” he said with a sigh.  
  
“Didja say something, Sparky?” Toph said as she approached and loomed over him, crossing her arms with a smirk.  
  
“I _said_ I yield!” The smirk never leaving her face, she held out a hand, which he took. With a grunt, he was helped back to his feet. “Guess I’m getting a little rusty, huh?”  
  
“Nah,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand, “I’m just that good.”  
  
“You’re right about that, but I think I _am_ getting rusty. How long did that take? Less than a minute?”  
  
She shrugged. “Pretty sure our last spar was only a little longer. You know what I think? Your bending ability hasn’t gotten worse, your mind is just clouded.”  
  
“Clouded? With what?”  
  
“Oh, I don’t know. How about the ridiculous amount of work you’ve been doing? Even when you’re supposed to be taking a break, it’s obviously all you’re thinking about.”  
  
“H-How did you know?”  
  
“I didn’t really, but now I do.”  
  
He facepalmed. “Ugh. Sorry for being such a shitty sparring partner...”  
  
“That’s not what I care about,” she said, scoffing. “I care about you ignoring your work for once in your damn life. Luckily for you, this isn’t the end of today’s Toph Time.”  
  
“…Toph Time?”  
  
“That’s what Sokka would call it when we hung out,” she said with a shrug.  
  
“And you too, I suppose?”  
  
She slugged his arm. Hard.  
  
“Ow!” he yelped as he gripped the arm, which was certainly going to bruise. “W-Whatever, what do you have planned next?”  
  
She flashed a toothy smile. “Go grab your swords and that weird mask I know you like to wear. You’re gonna _love_ this!”  
  
…  
  
“I _hate_ this!” Zuko exclaimed as the two of them ran down an alleyway, chased by three angry men.  
  
Apparently, Toph had made some enemies during her time in Caldera City, and had completely neglected to mention it until she literally brought him to their doorstep and then proceeded to (what else?) steal money from their shop.  
  
It was his own fault though. Really, he should’ve expected this the second she told him to bring his Blue Spirit stuff.  
  
They hid behind a corner, catching their breath. The men ran past, oblivious to their hiding spot. No wonder Toph loved to mess with them, they were clearly dumb as rocks.  
  
Swiftly pivoting on his heels, he bent over, masked face mere inches from hers. She didn't even blink, eyes half-lidded, and Zuko knew that even if she could see that would still be her reaction. “The _hell_ , Toph?" he said in a hushed voice. "What did you get me into?”  
  
Raising a hand, she roughly pushed his face away. Sputtering, he stumbled backwards as he fought to not fall over. "Relax, Sparky. As long as you wear that mask they won’t have a clue who you are.”  
  
He readjusted said mask with a huff. “Yeah, but they clearly know who _you_ are.”  
  
“Look, while you’ve been busying yourself with solving the world’s problems, I figured I may as well solve some problems of my own instead of sitting around all day. You know who those guys really are?”  
  
“…Respectable small business owners?” he said, knowing it was the wrong answer.  
  
“They’re a bunch of bullies who press other, less successful businesses in the area for money to assert their control. Ever since you’ve become Fire Lord, there have been lots of opportunistic bastards looking to take advantage of the resulting chaos. I’ve been messing with those types, helping some people out. They don’t call me the Blind Bandit for nothing!”  
  
He was silent for a moment as he processed all that information. “…I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me about this?”  
  
“ _Because,_ " she said, grinning from ear to ear, "I wanted to see the look on your face when I made the grand reveal!”  
  
“Even if you _could_ see, which you can’t, my face would’ve been hidden behind the mask!” he said, gesturing to it wildly.  
  
She ignored his logic, laughing to herself. “Ah man, it was priceless! Totally worth it!”  
  
“Sometimes I really don’t get you…” he muttered with a sigh, trying to ignore the growing smile on his face. However, this moment of amusement was quashed when, as usual, his train of thought went in a negative direction. “…You said things are in disarray here ever since I took the throne. How bad is it?”  
  
Her laughter died at his words. "Eh, I guess it could be worse.” When he released a distressed moan, she patted him on the arm, causing him to wince when it touched where she had punched earlier. “It’s _fine_ , Sparky. You’ve got a lot of your own shit to deal with. But I figured you might want a taste of something different.”  
  
Zuko turned back to the alley the thugs ran down. “I think you figured right, Toph.”  
  
“So,” she said, punching a fist into an open palm, “you wanna go and put the fear of the Blue Spirit in them?”  
  
He nodded with resolve. “Definitely.”  
  
…  
  
Their pursuers hadn’t gone far, as they were busy searching a nearby alley for the two of them. Finally getting a good look at them, Zuko realized they wouldn't be much of a threat. They were surface-level intimidating with their large muscles and scars and lumbering gaits, but quite clearly nothing either of them couldn’t handle. He wondered why Toph urged him to run away from them in the first place, and, knowing her, figured it was to make this whole thing more enjoyable. Completely unconcerned, he strode out into the open, Toph right beside him.  
  
“Looking for us?”  
  
Their heads all swiveled around at once. With a predatory smile, one of them immediately sauntered over and got in his face, so close Zuko could see the yellowed, rotting teeth in his mouth. _Thank Agni I'm wearing this mask, his breath must stink!_ “So, you finally show yourselves, eh? Give up the money you stole from us, and we’ll consider not beating your asses to a pulp.”  
  
“Your money?” Toph said. “I thought it was your neighbor’s. Guess I misheard that conversation.”  
  
“I guess you did, you little _bitch_. Now,” he said, backing off slightly, hand hovering over the hilt of his sword, “I don’t think a beating is enough for you two. Who do I get to gut first?”  
  
Zuko raised up one of his dao, aiming it in their direction. “Your immoral acts end here. Promise to change your ways, and we’ll let you leave in peace. Don’t, and we’ll have to take you out!”  
  
The thug burst out laughing. “Was that supposed to intimidate me?”  
  
Zuko didn’t respond, which only intensified the laughter.  
  
“That _was_ pretty corny,” Toph agreed with a shrug.  
  
“ _Hey! Whose side are you on?_ ” he whispered at her. He eyed the thugs, who were all unsheathing swords of their own. “Guess we’ll have to do this the hard way.”  
  
She cracked her knuckles. “Just the way I like it.”  
  
The one who laughed at him was the first to move, raising his sword to strike. Zuko analyzed his movements. Nonbender. Clearly a novice with the sword. The other two were likely the same. He dodged the swipe and knocked the assailant to the ground with a swift sweep under his legs. As he started on getting back up, Zuko jumped on his back, forcing him into the cobblestone with a grunt of pain, and kicked away the sword from his hands.  
  
Now, where were the other two? Turning around, Zuko saw they were buried up to their necks in stone, a yawning Toph leaning against one of them.  
  
All in all, the whole fight lasted no more than 10 seconds. And yet, it had been a while since Zuko felt so alive.  
  
Zuko gripped the lead assailant by his hair and forced him to look the mask in the eye. “I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll give you one more chance. Cease terrorizing innocents or you’ll get more than a bruised ego.” He pressed a sword into the thug’s throat. “And believe me, if you try to pull anything, we’ll know. Got it?”  
  
He gulped and then nodded hastily. At that, Zuko let go of his hair and watched as he ran away, whimpering pathetically. Zuko nodded at Toph, and she released the other two who immediately followed suit. To his amusement, he heard at least one of them audibly crying.  
  
She walked over to his side as he sheathed his swords. “OK, Sparky. I have to admit _that_ was kinda badass.”  
  
“Yeah… I guess it was,” he said with a slight laugh.  
  
She laughed in turn. “Told you you’d love it.”  
  
“You were right, as always,” he agreed. But, as the left-over adrenaline faded, doubts clouded his mind. That was fun, but, as the Fire Lord, he couldn’t participate in covert vigilantism like that. It just didn’t feel right, not when there was so much else he had to do. Not when committing such acts could land him in hot water and create a serious incident.  
  
Toph tilted her head in his direction, seemingly deep in thought. Suddenly, she grabbed his arm. “Come on, let’s go to the next thing." He followed her lead for a few steps before she paused. "And make sure to take off the damn mask!”  
  
"O-Oh, right!" he stuttered as he did just that.  
  
"...So, you would've forgotten to take it off if I didn't say anything?"  
  
He blushed and looked in the other direction. She cackled and pulled him onward.  
  
…  
  
Apparently, the next portion of today’s ‘Toph Time’ was eating dinner in one of those aforementioned beleaguered small businesses. It was a small restaurant, currently empty besides them and a man who seemed to run the entire thing himself. Toph seemed to have a rapport with him if the brief interaction they had before he noticed Zuko’s presence was any indication. However, once he noticed Zuko was there, he immediately fell into a bow.  
  
“F-Fire Lord Zuko!” he exclaimed as he fell to his knees. “What an honor it is to have you here!”  
  
“There’s no need to bow. Please, rise.”  
  
The owner did as he asked, shuffling nervously on his feet.  
  
“It’s fine, dude,” Toph said. “The Fire Lord and I are tight.” As she said that she pulled out the sack of money she stole from the thugs and threw it on the ground. “Got this for you. They won’t be bothering you again.”  
  
He gaped at the money in front of him. “You got it all back… How? How can I ever repay you?!”  
  
“Just get us some roast komodo chicken for dinner and we’re all good,” she said with a wink and thumbs up. And she called him corny?  
  
He hastily nodded as he picked up the money and ran to the kitchen.  
  
“So…” Zuko began as they sat down at a table, the rickety chair audibly creaking under his weight. “The Blind Bandit, huh? When did that start?”  
  
She shrugged. “After that whole 'giving me a pep talk after I tortured Ozai' thing you did a few weeks ago, I figured I should use my talents for good instead of sitting around all day. Ever since I've spent my free time wandering around the city and feeling for trouble. Some days are more entertaining than others, but it’s been a pretty fun gig overall.”  
  
“Wow. And here I was, thinking you always dodged my questions about what you were doing because you were up to no good."  
  
“What, did you think I was just running around and randomly destroying things for fun?”  
  
“Wouldn’t put it past you.”  
  
“Give me _some_ credit, Sparky,” she said with a snort. Leaning back, she slammed her dirt-covered feet on the table.  
  
“Ugh!” he said, cringing. “We’re about to eat, Toph. Do you really need to do that?”  
  
Her pinkie began to dig into one of her ears. “No, but I want to.”  
  
He groaned, knowing any further protests wouldn't make a difference.  
  
Pulling out the pinkie, she flicked some earwax to the floor. “ _Anyway_ , if you ever wanna come out with me again, bust some heads, take some names, I’m down. The Blind Bandit and the Blue Spirit? Everyone’ll be pissing their pants!”  
  
Zuko mulled that over as the owner brought out the plate of roasted komodo chicken. Nodding in thanks, he immediately began to dig in to buy himself more time, and, in the process, realized it was possibly the best komodo chicken he had ever eaten. Regardless, he could feel Toph pointedly aiming her eyes at him, clearly awaiting a response. He swallowed the food with an audible gulp.  
  
“I-I don’t know. You _were_ right, I loved it. But… I’m the Fire Lord, and, even with a mask hiding my identity, I can’t just abandon my duties all the time. And imagine if it got out I was doing that? It would cause so many issues that it makes me anxious just thinking about it. My standing in the world is on a razor's edge as it is. One slip up and... I'm done."  
  
Her face fell, and he couldn't if it was from disappointment or sadness at what he was saying.  
  
"...Besides, it’s clear you can handle it yourself.”  
  
She sighed. “I _know_ I can handle it myself. That’s not the point. It would be more fun with you there.” Her feet left the table and lowered back to the ground as she instead opted to lean forward and steeple her fingers. “I get what you're saying, and I don't ever want to make things harder for you. But if you ever wanna, ya know, blow off some steam or something, then join me. It’s an open offer. No pressure.”  
  
“Oh,” he said with a blink. He had honestly expected her to argue with him on that. Even after all this time, the fact that he had friends who genuinely wanted to spend time with him, who were genuinely considerate of his feelings, still felt somewhat alien. “I guess I could join you every so often…”  
  
“Great, it’s settled!” She flashed a wolfish grin that scared him a little before shoveling komodo chicken in her mouth. “Finish your food,” she said, mouth full, spittle flying everywhere. “I’ve got one last thing planned for today.”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“You think I’d just tell you? It’s a surprise, obviously.”  
  
…  
  
After leaving the restaurant, Zuko having left behind a generous tip and a promise that he’d return for more of that delicious komodo chicken, he allowed Toph to lead the way to wherever the surprise was. The streets of Caldera City were bustling as day turned to dusk, and it was hard to ignore the constant stares and murmurings of the citizens. Zuko knew that there were a number of people who despised him for taking Ozai's title and ending the war, and there was no way to tell who was who in these crowded city streets. Maybe he _should've_ kept the mask on...  
  
However, no matter what happened, Toph pulled him along with the single-minded determination she often had when performing important tasks, squeezing his hand whenever his heartbeat got too high. He was likely safer with her than he would be if he was surrounded by an entire battalion of guards. Whatever she had planned was going to be to worth it, he knew, and he already had an idea on what it was. Having lived there much of his life, Zuko liked to think he had extensive knowledge about the layout of the city, and it was because of this that, the further they walked and the more landmarks he recognized, the more certain he was that his hunch was correct.  
  
Those suspicious were confirmed when she stopped in front of the Caldera Theater, and, after fishing around her pockets for a moment, held out two tickets.  
  
Without a word, he took one and read it: ’ _Love Amongst the Dragons_ ’.  
  
Immediately, a memory resurfaced in his mind.  
  
_“What's this?” he asked as his mother handed him a ticket._  
  
“Love Amongst the Dragons _, an absolutely wonderful play. Oh,” she uncharacteristically began to squeal, “this is your first time seeing it! And by the Caldera Theater Troupe, no less! I envy you so much!”_  
  
_Her smile then was so unlike what he was used to. Sometimes they were so large they pulled at the skin of her face in strange ways, and other times they were so small and slight it was as if they weren’t there at all. Now, though, it was a perfect fit. Why did he never see this smile?_  
  
_“The title makes it sound pretty boring.”_  
  
_She laughed, a beautiful thing that was like the chiming of a bell, and, again, he wondered why she didn’t do that more often. “Trust me, my dear. You’ll love it. When’s the last time I was wrong?”_  
  
_“Never!" he said immediately. "You’re never wrong!”_  
  
_“I see you’re catching on quickly,” she said with a wink. “Now, let’s go. You don’t want to miss a second!”_  
  
_Despite his reservations, she was right. He loved it. And when she brought him to see it every year afterwards, his love for it only deepened. Even when the Ember Island Players would give a typically terrible performance, all he had to do was lean into his mother’s side and he knew he was happy._  
  
_But, after she disappeared, he never saw it again._  
  
“Toph…” was all he could choke out. He had expected a play, but he had never expected _this_.  
  
“I remember you said you would watch this one with your mom. Seems kinda mushy and boring to me, but there’s no accounting for taste-“  
  
A sudden hug cut her off, and token protests such as ‘You can’t do this to me!’ and 'We're in public!' tapered off as he held her even tighter.  
  
“Thank you, Toph,” he muttered.  
  
“No problem, Sparky,” she said, voice suspiciously wet. After they pulled away, she hastily rubbed her eyes and added, “But it’s just a play, dude, calm down!”  
  
“B-But, how did you get these? The Caldera Theater Troupe performances are _always_ sold out!”  
  
“You’re the _Fire Lord_. All I had to do was prove I knew you, and then they practically forced them on me. They even reserved a fucking balcony! What, did you never abuse your position in the royal family for shit like this?”  
  
The fond memories replayed themselves on a loop. _Her soft laughter, her warm hands, her warmer hugs._ “My mother would bring me to plays all the time, but after she left… My father always thought they were a waste of time.”  
  
“Figures,” Toph said through gritted teeth. “…Well, we should hurry. It’s starting soon. Kinda sucks we’re in a balcony and I won’t be able to feel what’s going on, but whatever.”  
  
“Don’t worry, I’ll describe things to you. I _kinda_ have this play more-or-less memorized, but it’ll be very interesting to see how they interpret some of the more ambiguous dialogue-“  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” Toph grumbled as she pulled him forward. “Let’s just watch the damn thing.”  
  
…  
  
They plopped down on their seats in the balcony, Zuko munching on some fire flakes as he hunched forward. Toph reclined lazily, hands interlocked behind her head. The theater was softly lit, the audience murmuring amongst each other. Zuko always loved the atmosphere before a play, as the anticipation in the air was simply palpable.  
  
Soon, the lights dimmed, and one of the actors, who Zuko could tell would be playing the lead role of the Dragon Emperor, walked to the center of the stage.  
  
"Welcome, one and all, to the Caldera Theater Troupe's performance of _Love Amongst the Dragons_!" The audience applauded. "You may be wondering why I am addressing you all so directly. That is because, tonight, we are honored to be playing for the venerable Fire Lord Zuko!"  
  
The entire theater burst into applause as he stood and waved to the crowd. Normally, large crowds intimidated him, but here he couldn't help but feel a swell of confidence as he soaked up this moment where, for once, being the Fire Lord didn't feel like such a burden. Once he sat back down, Toph softly punched him on the shoulder.  
  
"Without further ado, let the show begin!"  
  
Unlike the Ember Island Players, who butchered the play every year, the Caldera Theater Troupe were remarkably proficient at their jobs. The set design and costuming were beautiful, the acting emotional and full of life, the staging impeccable. Zuko was so impressed that he barely noticed Toph’s annoyed groans as he excitedly described to her how exceptional it all was.  
  
When the play's antagonist, the Dark Water Spirit, first walked on stage, spouting a threatening introductory monologue, Zuko nudged her side. "That's the Dark Water Spirit. His costume has a mask, a _blue_ mask."  
  
Toph sat up. "No way..."  
  
"Yes way! My mother bought one a long time ago, and that's what the Blue Spirit mask really is."  
  
She held up a hand. "Wait. You're telling me your badass vigilante alter ego is actually _cosplay?!_ "  
  
Rubbing the back of his head, he looked at the floor to uselessly hide his flushed skin. "Uh, maybe?"  
  
"Oh, Sparky, Sparky, Sparky..." she said, shaking her head in disappointment. "You're hopeless. How do you ever manage to intimidate anyone?"  
  
"Hey, I can be plenty intimidating!"  
  
"That's nice," she said, patting his cheek. "Now hush, we're missing the play."  
  
He grumbled but didn't protest because she was right. He didn't want to miss another second.  
  
When the play reached its end and the cast lined up for their bow, Zuko leapt to his feet and joined the standing ovation with great enthusiasm. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed even Toph begrudgingly did so.  
  
Despite himself, as the thundering clapping of the audience reverberated around him, he wondered. When was the last time he felt like this? When was the last time he felt so genuinely passionate about something that, ultimately, mattered so little? When was the last time he felt so excited to be alive? So… free and unburdened?  
  
It was before his mom disappeared, and he couldn't decide what to think of that realization.  
  
Some tears trailed down his cheek, and he didn’t know if it was because of the play or those sobering thoughts. Maybe both.  
  
“Not bad, eh Sparky?” Toph said, nudging his arm with an elbow.  
  
“Yeah,” he said, voice shaky, “not bad at all.”  
  
…  
  
The walk back to the palace was relatively uneventful. Neither of them said much, instead deciding to appreciate the typically comfortable silence they found themselves in. Zuko used that time to reflect on what had happened today. The return of the Blue Spirit, the delicious komodo chicken, the incredible play… None of it was life changing, but he had to admit that was partly what he loved about it all. There was a sense of comfort and familiarity that managed to cool the ever-present anxiety within him. Glancing at the young earthbender beside him, he felt a surge of gratitude. Gratitude that she was here with him, that she understood him well enough to put all of this together. Not for her benefit, but for his.  
  
Today’s ‘Toph Time’, he had to admit, was a resounding success.  
  
“Hey, Toph,” he said, clearing his throat awkwardly.  
  
“Yeah, Sparky?”  
  
“I-I know I already said this, but I just want to thank you for today. In the end, it meant a lot to me.”  
  
She stopped in her tracks, and thus so did he. “Well, that’s what friends are for, right? We help each other, and we want to see each other happy.”  
  
“…I guess it is?”  
  
Her eyes moved around strangely, and Zuko supposed she was attempting to roll them. “You don’t know much about having friends, do you?”  
  
“No,” he replied right away.  
  
“Well, neither do I, but I think we’re helping each other learn pretty well.”  
  
“You think so?”  
  
“Yes! I mean, do you honestly think I would’ve been willing to sit through that play a few months ago? Fuck no!”  
  
He burst out laughing at that. “Hey, _Love Amongst the Dragons_ is a classic. And now that we’re on the subject, wasn’t Ming Li’s performance as the Dragon Empress just absolutely incredible?”  
  
“Who?”  
  
“The lead actress, Ming Li. It can be very easy to portray the Dragon Empress in such a bland way, but she brought so much depth to the role. I really felt the inner conflict when she-“ He continued to ramble on for a bit before realizing he was, well, rambling. “Oh, sorry. I guess this isn’t as interesting to me as it is to you.”  
  
She smiled, a strangely sincere and gentle one he rarely ever saw on her. “Nah, keep going. It’s nice to hear you be excited about something for once.”  
  
Shrugging, he continued his thoughts on the play as they resumed their walk home. Toph occasionally interrupted with her own perspectives, which were uninformed and didn’t truly appreciate how theater worked. She scoffed but otherwise didn’t protest when he would educate her.  
  
It all went by in a blur. Eventually, they reached the palace, and then his quarters. As they entered, he paused as he saw the mountains of paperwork he had left behind.  
  
Oh yeah. He had responsibilities.  
  
“Hey, do you mind if I spend the night here?” Toph asked.  
  
“Of course not,” he replied. They had recently started spending nights with each other quite regularly, so the request did not faze him.  
  
Still, the strange way she stood there, shifting her weight from one leg to another, indicated that there was more to this than the usual fear of nightmares.  
  
“What’s wrong?” he asked.  
  
“Do you… Do you mind if I spend tomorrow with you?”  
  
That was the last thing he expected to hear. “…Um, sure? But it’ll be pretty boring.”  
  
“Fine with me,” she said with a shrug before leaping on to his bed and making herself comfortable.  
  
“And why exactly do you want to sit in while I spend all day answering reports and arguing with foreign delegates?” he said as he joined her, snuggling under the blanket.  
  
“I don’t need to explain myself to you,” she mumbled into a pillow.  
  
It was then he realized why. Despite all her efforts, his worry over his workload never went away, and that was still readily apparent to her almost omniscient ability to understand how he felt at any given moment. It was at times like these he remembered that Toph, for all her strength and intelligence, was still a kid. A kid who just wanted to help in her own way. And, of course, this caused guilt to course through him.  
  
“Whatever you say,” was all he said, patting her arm in gratitude. “Just want to let you know, today was one of the most enjoyable days I’ve had in quite a while. I could stand to have more Toph Time in the future.”  
  
Her head lifted from the pillow, eyes shining through the dark. “Well, tomorrow’s gonna be my Zuko Time. And you better be ready to entertain me!”  
  
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Maybe you can punt my advisor out of the palace when he makes another stupid suggestion.”  
  
“Sounds like a plan.”  
  
They didn’t say another word, and eventually he heard her breathing even out as she fell asleep. Even so, he remained awake, staring at the ceiling. Occasionally, he glanced at her, watching as the blanket over her rose and fell with her chest.  
  
The two had been through a lot these past few months, and, in the end, had come out the other side closer than either one had anticipated. As always, she was right. In a way, they were teaching each other how real friends, how real _family _, should act. It was no surprise that this night with Toph reminded him of nights with his mom. Perhaps, if things had worked out differently, he could’ve had similar nights with Azula.  
  
No matter. His life was as it was. Azula was away, getting the help she needed, and now he had Toph. Who promised to always stick with him. Who listened as he explained the worst parts of his life and reacted with nothing but rage on his behalf. Who also suffered from chronic nightmares. Who also knew what it meant to have parents who didn’t understand you.  
  
He felt lucky. It wasn’t often he felt that way. He did when he realized all his Uncle had done for him. He did when Team Avatar (apparently Sokka had rubbed off on him) accepted him with open arms. He did when Mai got back with him after all that happened. And he did when Toph decided to stay with him. He was lucky to have her with him, lucky to find that, in this palace that did little but give him constant stress and pain, he wasn’t alone.  
  
Sighing in contentment, he finally closed his eyes and surrendered himself to sleep. __

**Author's Note:**

> Here, have some Zuko and Toph fluff. The next story I have planned for this series will be darker, and I'll actually be writing other members of the Gaang for once! I know, crazy, right? Thanks for reading!


End file.
